Backscatter HF-1 Strobe Tests -- Underwater Photography Product of the Year?

[DreiFish]

My Backscatter HF-1s (and diffuser package) arrived at last, and of course I had to do some comparison testing before getting them in the water. Here's the measurements, compared with the Marelux Apollo 3s, Ikelite DS 230s and Supe D-Pro (among others). Results fairly closely match Backscatter's advertised figures, but they do fall short slightly in terms of power output, flash duration and high-frame rate shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

Max power for high speed shooting (measured on the 20th shot in the series):

 

 

Illustrative beam spread, color temperature and illumination power in air (1.4m distance to the wall, 15mm fisheye lens, 1 strobe, F22, ISO 100, Color Temperature set to 5300k). 

 

 

Observations:

 

• It's the brightest strobe I tested, about 2/3 of a stop brighter (with no diffuser) than the Ikelite DS230, Marelux Apollo IIIs, and Sea & Sea YS-D3
• If I had to guess, it's using 2 of the same flash tubes used on the Sea & Sea YS-D3. However, unlike the YS-D3, the beam is already wide and pretty soft with no diffuser. The YS-D3 cannot be used without a diffuser if you want to avoid significant hotspotting.
• Color temperature is already decent without diffusers at 6000k. Warmer than the Marelux Apollo IIIs, similar to the YS-D3, and but not as warm as the DS230s. Side by side with the Marelux Apollo III (both without a diffuser), it's brighter, more even, and warmer.

 

 

• You only lose about 1/3 of a stop of light with the flat diffuser, and 1 stop of light with the dome diffuser.
• Color filter wise, you can get to 5300k (which is pretty versatile) while only sacrificing 1/3 stop of power, and 4450k/4300k with the warm 4500k filter by sacrificing 1/2 a stop of light output.
• The sweet spot seems to be the daylight 5500k flat diffuser, which gets you great spread with minimal hotspotting, color temperature almost matching the Ikelite DS230, and a very respectable light output at GN31. Basically, it's comparable with the DS230 with this combination in terms of light quality, with much better recycling times, weight, and battery capacity. Not to mention cheaper. Here is the Backscatter HF-1 on the left, YS230 on the right. The color temperature is not so different, but the Ikelite does have a more reddish tint (vs more yellow on the HF-1) which could be beneficial for colorful reef scenes:

 

 

 

• The dome diffusers don't offer a great tradeoff. You lose an additional 2/3 stop of light compared to the flat diffuser, and beam evenness improves only marginally. Still, they're there if you really want the softest, widest dispersion of light. 
• The ambient light diffusers are an interesting option, rendering light with a 12250-12750k, with a very strong magenta push (lightroom maxed out its magenta correction at 150. But you lose a full stop of light with the flat ambient diffuser and three stops with the dome ambient diffuser. The latter is basically unnecessary for this shooting style in my view, since you're using the flash for fill rather than to restore color, so hotspotting is not a major concern. 
• Flash duration is probably best in class. It's 'only' about 1/300s (not the advertised 1/440s) at +2 power, but flash duration ceases to be a concern if you shot at +1 (1/800s) or 'Full" power (1/1250s). 
• Despite the quick-firing flash tube, you do still lose a fair bit of power switching into HSS mode. 2/3 stop at 1/250s shutter speed, 1 stop at 1/500s, 3 stops at 1/1000s and 4 2/3 stops at 1/2000s. 
• It's best in class for fast speed shooting. At 3fps, it's 2/3 stop brighter than the Supe D-Pro, and a full stop brighter than the Ikelite DS230 and Marelux Apollo III. At 6fps, it's 1 1/3 stop brighter than the Apollo IIIs (and 2 2/3 stop brighter than the YS-D3). At 12 fps, you still get a respectable GN of 8.5 - 2/3 of a stop brighter than the Apollo III.

 

At the end of the day, it's basically better than the Apollo III in every way, and better than the Ikelite DS230 in most ways, though the DS230 still edges it out in power output and light quality if you absolutely must have a 5100k light temperature. 

 

When you consider that it's the cheapest of the big strobes, and only $100 more then the Sea & Sea YS-D3, I'm really struggling to see why you wouldn't pick this strobe as the best in class. There's very few areas where another strobe is better. And as a complete package at such an attractive price? This should be most people's end-game strobe. 

[Dave_Hicks]

Here is a photo taken with my pair of HF-1 stobes today. Flagpole in the Hood Canal of Washington State. 

 

Cloud Sponges at 75 feet: 

Nikon Z8, WWL-C, 24mm, 1/30s, F10, iso500, Pair of HF-1s using the 4500k flat diffusers. 

 

[Architeuthis]

2 hours ago, Dave_Hicks said:

Here is a photo taken with my pair of HF-1 stobes today. Flagpole in the Hood Canal of Washington State. 

 

Cloud Sponges at 75 feet: 

Nikon Z8, WWL-C, 24mm, 1/30s, F10, iso500, Pair of HF-1s using the 4500k flat diffusers. 

 

 

 

Thank you for the nice example photo...👍

 

It would be great if you could provide the uncropped version (to see how performance is far from center)....

[Alex_Mustard]

Matt and I recorded an episode of The Underwater Photography Show on the HF-1 earlier in the week. We put the Brian Skerry episode out first. But I’ve scheduled the HF-1 episode for today (Dave gets a mention)! 

[scipionems]

4 hours ago, Alex_Mustard said:

Matt and I recorded an episode of The Underwater Photography Show on the HF-1 earlier in the week. We put the Brian Skerry episode out first. But I’ve scheduled the HF-1 episode for today (Dave gets a mention)! 

Thank you Alex_Mustard for the video on the Hf1, I have already seen it.

Very interesting and useful....

But for me it is too late... I have already purchase a couple of them ahah 😄

 

[Dave_Hicks]

7 hours ago, Architeuthis said:

 

Thank you for the nice example photo...👍

 

It would be great if you could provide the uncropped version (to see how performance is far from center)....

I will try to find a better example to post. The corner coverage of green water is not going to be useful. 

 

And I basically never point my strobe forward from each side like a test shot at a wall. The left strobe was high on a triple arm pointing down and inward, the right strobe was out at 90deg and point toward the diver with edge lighting. 

 

IMHO, coverage shots in the real world are only possible if you compose and light for benchmarks rather than artistic effect. 

Edited July 19 by Dave_Hicks

[Architeuthis]

Thank you again. I just see it was taken with WWL-C (thought it was with the new Laowa 10mm). So maybe the corners are not so important in this case...

 

Here is BTW the link to Alex's review of the HF-1 strobes:

 

Wolfgang

 

[Dave_Hicks]

1 hour ago, Architeuthis said:

Thank you again. I just see it was taken with WWL-C (thought it was with the new Laowa 10mm). So maybe the corners are not so important in this case...

 

Here is BTW the link to Alex's review of the HF-1 strobes:

 

Wolfgang

 

I just watched it. I got a call out in the screen shots at the beginning of the video!

 

TLDR; He likes it a lot, massive power, good light with the 4500k flat filter, killer battery life, good value, and excellent for tropical waters. Cons are that the two knobs (flat for mode, round for power level) should be reversed for better ergonomics. I had the same feedback when I got the HF-1. Weight makes them less suitable for cold water where you don't need that much power.

 

I'm not sure I agree with the point about cold water. It's true you don't need high power levels in cold water, but I do find the battery life and fast recycle times to be very valuable regardless of location. My #1 reason for buying the HF-1 was for rapid recycle in cold water. I've felt limited by this with my Inon 330's for some time. 

[Architeuthis]

Here in Austria we have crystal clear, but really cold, lakes in the mountains. In summer and when the weather allows, a lot of sunshine in the shallow regions. Similar situation to Egypt (sun intensity may be less, but vis is definitely better)...

 

On my first dive with HF-1, I had problems with the rather high downforce, when I pulled the strobes far back with the fisheye lens/dome on the rig. But now I have redistributed the floats (shifted floats towards the strobe-ends of the outer arm instead of having them on the inner arm) and buoyancy is perfect. I can release the entire rig, it not just stays at level, but also does not twist and/or tip over. I was just not used to have strobes, that weight so much in water (YS-D2s and Z330s before, downforces are almost negligible).

Yes, strobe power control should better be "paddle" style, but this is a luxury problem. Guess one becomes accustomed to this within few dives and then it goes via vegetative nervous system...

 

I have used the strobes now few times with the flat diffusers and Canon 8-15mm fisheye/140mm domeport in cloudy waters (gravelpond with 2-3m vis. maximum; plenty of backscatter). I find avoidance of backscatter in these conditions considerably easier compared to my Z330s with dome diffusers...

[Fabian]

Guys, stop it... my bank account can't take this anymore!